Month: July 2017

Lonzo Ball is the most coveted rookie ever to be drafted since LeBron James not just because of his father Lavar, but because of the fact that he is playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most accomplished teams in the history of the NBA. Ball has had huge expectations since his days at UCLA, thanks to his father. He said Lonzo would bring UCLA a championship. That dream ended in the Round of 16 of March Madness due to De’Aaron Fox’s 39-point outburst. He said that Lonzo would be drafted by the Lakers, which happened as we all know. Then there are some things that we have to wait and see before we can say they are true, such as if he is better than Stephen Curry, and that he will take the Lakers to the playoffs this year. Here is what I think about the potential of Lonzo Ball, and his shoe game.

Lonzo’s Potential

Lonzo Ball is the most gifted passer I have ever seen since Steve Nash. Much like Nash, Ball is a pass-first team player who is willing to sacrifice his scoring to set up others for easier scoring opportunities. While he was at UCLA, he averaged 7.6 assists per game, which broke UCLA records for assists in a season, and also propelled him into the top spot in the nation’s assist leaders. At UCLA, Lonzo averaged 14.6 points per game, which led his team. So far in the Summer League, he is averaging 16.4 points per game, and 9.2 assists per game, showing his innate ability to be a scorer and a distributor. While the scoring numbers may be slightly inflated due to the fact that he is playing against players fighting for a spot on an NBA roster, his ability to create opportunities for those same players on his team speaks volumes to his ability as a team leader. Lonzo already has proven that he is a Big Baller, but now he has also shown his potential to lead a team, be selfless, create scoring opportunities for himself, and be a good on and off-ball defender. He has the potential to be as good as Magic Johnson by the end of his career, as well as an NBA champion. Also, expect the #2 banner to up in Staples Center by the time Lonzo’s career is all set and done (as said by Magic Johnson).

Lonzo’s Shoe Game

Lavar Ball not only has put tremendous pressure on Lonzo to be one of the greatest players ever, but he has also started a shoe line under his family company’s name, Big Baller Brand. Shortly after Lonzo and UCLA were knocked out of the March Madness Tournament, Lavar tried to get Lonzo a shoe deal with either Nike, Adidas, or Under Armour. All three of the brands said no, which led to him creating the shoe line under the Big Baller Brand name. The ZO2 was unveiled, but to make Lonzo’s shoe stand out from the competition, Lavar priced it at $495. When interviewed about it, he said ‘if you can’t afford the shoes, you’re not a Big Baller.” In his first two Summer League games, Lonzo wore his Big Baller Brand shoes, but in his two latest games, he has worn the Nike Kobe AD, Adidas Harden 1 Lifestyle, and Under Armour Curry 4 (they were given to him by Curry). Lonzo said in an interview from TNT’s David Aldridge “when you’re a big baller, you can wear whatever you want,” showing the fact that he is still looking for a deal from the big companies, and by wearing their shoes is using this as a tactic to get the shoe deal. Lavar Ball told ESPN that since Lonzo is independent, “[he] is not forced to wear any brand as long as it’s okay with the NBA.” I think this is a great strategy and sooner than later, Lonzo will land himself a shoe deal with one of the major shoe brands.

The 2017 MLB season has seen a lot of great individual performances, such as the show that Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger have been putting on as rookies, and also a lot of teams overachieving and underachieving their expectations, such as the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs, respectively. Here are some big storylines to look out for going into the All-Star Break in about a week’s time:

Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger’s Rookie Ceilings

A lot of rookies hit the ‘rookie ceiling’, or the ‘rookie wall’, as some people like to call it. Aaron Judge (26 HRs) and Cody Bellinger (24 HRs) are on their way to breaking rookie records that have been almost impossible to break. Both are on pace to break Mark McGwire’s record of 48 HRs in a season, which has been standing since 1987, and the two have also excelled in other areas (batting average, on-base percentage, etc.). The challenge, however, is keeping this up. Both Bellinger and Judge have been invited to the Home Run Derby, however, Judge does not seem like he is as interested as Bellinger. In many ways, this is a smart move, as it keeps him healthier going throughout the rest of the season. I expect both of them to get 40+ HRs, but Judge breaks the record.

The Nationals’ Bullpen Struggles

The Washington Nationals seem to have some kind of a discombobulated and non-existent bullpen. As displayed yesterday evening in their 5-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs at home, the bullpen doesn’t know how to keep their composure. The Nationals were leading 4-2 with 1 out left when Blake Treinen decides to sleep-pitch his way to get the last out. Treinen let Javier Baez get a single after Jeimer Candelario got a base-hit with 1 out, and then Tommy La Stella’s RBI single brough both Baez and Candelario in to score, and that’s how the game ended. Now, that being said, the Nats’ big time bullpen players like Sammy Solis and Francisco Rodriguez are returning from injury and being signed to the team, respectively, so if those two can provide sparks for this team. The Nats can gain my full confidence as the favorites in the NL as their offense is extremely impressive.

Houston Doesn’t Have a Problem Anymore

The Houston Astros for the longest time were the laughing stock of the MLB, always having the worst record in the MLB, and just having a terrible roster and management, in general. Now, after years of tanking, the Houston Astros have found their way, and are the current holder of the MLB’s best record. They have the second-highest scoring offense (445 runs), and are 1st in batting average (.283), on-base percentage (.349), and slugging percentage (.485). On the pitching side, they are currently 3rd in earned-run average, or ERA (3.82). Houston is also expected to have 4 unanimously chosen All-Stars this year in Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, and Lance McCullers. Expect this dominance to continue throughout the year, and for the Astros to be the World Series favorites.